CME has raised margin requirements for silver futures contracts to over $80,000. Before you blame the exchange, understand this: maintaining a leveraged position is a privilege you earn by meeting financial obligations. It's not a right, and it's definitely not oppression. This is the core distinction between investing and speculation. When you leverage, you're borrowing capital to amplify both gains and losses. The exchange needs to protect the system from cascading defaults. Higher margins mean fewer overleveraged retail traders blowing up their accounts in a single flash crash. Yes, it filters out smaller players, but that's the entire point of risk management. If you can't afford the margin, you can't afford the leverage. Period.